China's own brand cars lose to themselves

On September 8, the statistics from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers showed that in August, the independent brands of passenger cars sold a total of 407,400 vehicles, which represented a year-on-year decrease of 2.86%, accounting for 37.2% of the total passenger car sales, which was a decrease of 3.96% year-on-year.

The sales of major domestic auto companies are not optimistic. BYD Auto fell 8.4%, which was the tenth consecutive month-on-year decline. Chery Automobile slid 15.9%. SAIC Passenger Vehicles slipped 1.4% from January to August. Market share of independent brands declined except for a few Geely and Great Wall. .

This year, the purchase tax relief, car to the countryside, the exit of the old-for-new automobile market stimulus policy, and the improvement of fuel consumption standards for "energy-saving benefits for the people" in October have indeed caused the loss of shares of independent brands.

In addition, an interesting topic is: Is the joint venture company taking over the share of its own brand? This seems reasonable. From the perspective of market share, the joint venture’s overall share this year has risen against the trend. Volkswagen and GM are even more unstoppable.

From the market point of view is more clear - Beijing Hyundai Elantra and Shanghai GM Buick Excelle have already explored the 7 million range, Jetta and Santana's price has already approached 60,000 at the beginning, as well as the Guangzhou Automobile Honda concept S1 joint venture name Stepping into the 60,000 yuan self-owned brand traditional advantage area.

However, if the straight-line decline in the market share of self-owned brands is simply attributed to the aggressiveness of the joint venture company, it is inevitable that the joint venture company should be stunned.

Yes, the share of the self-owned brand is lost under the pressure of the joint venture, but it is not the right attitude to attribute its own weakness to external pressure.

Where are the lost brands? Putting an objective factor aside, you have to return to the original source. The self-owned brand first lost to itself. At the end of the last century, independent brands began to accidentally catch up with the unprecedented blowouts of the Chinese auto market. The depletion of capital made it possible for indigenous brands with local and national flags to spring up. This is understandable, but the sales volume has made bloodthirsty capital. Gradually losing basic rationality, random pieces and hastily self-owned brands such as crossing the river.

Indifferent local brands will inevitably appear similar to the double-ring cars and the cars of Tonka Motors. The former brutally destroys the basic principles of automobile manufacturing. The latter is purely a flash in the pan and gives people laughs.

The trouble with local brands is that: unlike the long-established foreign brands, since the founding time is short, the independent brands do not have distinctive brand personality characteristics. Therefore, the rough and overrunning of a certain brand can easily be given to all independent brands by angry consumers. Negative signal. This amplified signal is even a huge blow to the honesty of the local brands.

In addition, the overly prosperous auto market has made its own brand, which is not deeply involved, quickly indulge. On July 9th, SAIC-GM-Wuling General Manager Shenyang's views were worth pondering. He believes that in recent years, the development of Chinese autos has been too rapid, the market has grown faster than the general laws, and the basic needs of consumers have not been done enough, leading to independent brands. Lose the motivation to learn.

He took the example of his own experience of GM Wuling. In the past, SAIC-Wuling Automobile was only ranked fourth. At that time, the company aimed at opponents and markets, and each of them bravely contested. “That was a fiery era. At that time, the learning spirit was not the same. Now, our own market share has risen. Instead, the company’s management has lost its respect for the market and lost its interpretation of the market.” Shenyang ignored it. Since the exposing family ugly.

Independent brands can provide support to the government, and they can also imbue consumers with national feelings. However, the facts tell us that policies are like education and can be used for a while; national feelings can not be eaten – you can ask a consumer Will you become a repeat customer after you buy a car with a faulty model?

The expanding marketing force of the JV company seems to be a barrier to the growth of self-owned brands. However, reasonable competition in the common market is not the only reason to hinder the growth of local brands. The self-owned brand must seek to unlock the shackles of breakthrough bottlenecks.

SAIC-GM-Wuling’s approach is somewhat interesting. In this year's market downturn, the company set off a rectification movement within the company, mobilized all directors above the management level to go to the market, did not inform the local dealers, find their own hotels, go to the market first-line distributor channels Site visits and visits with competitors.

"The situation is terrible, but it is not impossible." Shenyang said, "The bad situation forces us to think. We must learn more, be more humble and think, and have more intimacy with customers."

SAIC-GM-Wuling is not a typical self-owned brand, but its story is enough to awaken many independent brands who are still looking forward to the policy.

In 2010, Toyota Motor Co., Ltd. suffered a dozen years of poor recalls and decided to return to the original point of business to regain the lost mountains and rivers. Isn't the self-owned brand a sport that should return to its original point?

Where is the origin of autonomy? Perhaps the accumulation of technology and lack of brand awareness, but the biggest advantage of the local brand is to interpret the Chinese market's ability to understand the needs of customers. Did they do this?